Story highlights

IAEA says Iran is in compliance with the nuclear deal; sanctions are lifted

Freed American Matthew Trevithick departs Iran

(CNN)Iran has freed four U.S. prisoners as part of a prisoner swap, including Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, Marine veteran Amir Hekmati and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, senior U.S. administration officials said Saturday, confirming reports first published in Iranian media.

A fifth man -- described as a recently detained student named Matthew Trevithick -- was separately released, U.S. officials said.

The announcement comes on a day when the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, announced Iran is in compliance with a July deal to restrict its nuclear program. As a result, at least some international economic sanctions against Iran were lifted.

As part of the deal, Iran agreed to release of Rezaian, Hekmati, Abedini and a fourth detainee identified by U.S. officials as Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari in exchange for clemency for seven Iranians indicted or imprisoned in the United States for sanctions violations, the officials confirmed.

Six of the seven are dual citizens.

Read More

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Kim Dong Chul, a South Korean-born American citizen detained in North Korea, is escorted to his trial April 29 in Pyongyang. A North Korean court sentenced Kim to 10 years in prison for what it called acts of subversion and espionage. North Korea watchers interpret the detainment of Americans and other foreign citizens as a collection of bargaining chips by the reclusive regime.

Hide Caption

1 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

University of Virginia student Otto Frederick Warmbier was detained by North Korea after being accused of carrying out "a hostile act" against the government, state media reported. In March, he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly removing a political banner from a Pyongyang hotel.

Hide Caption

2 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Jason Rezaian, The Washington Post's bureau chief in Tehran, was released January 16 as part of a prisoner swap. Rezaian was convicted by an Iranian Revolutionary Court in October, according to Iran's state-run media. Rezaian was reportedly facing up to 20 years, but the sentence was not specified. The journalist was taken into custody in July 2014 and later charged with espionage; the Post has denied all allegations against him. His wife, Yeganeh Salehi, also was detained in July 2014 but later released.

Hide Caption

3 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen of Iranian birth, was freed as part of a prisoner swap that included Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian on January 16. Abedini was sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2013. He was accused of attempting to undermine the Iranian government and endangering national security by establishing home churches. He was detained in Iran on September 26, 2012, according to the American Center for Law and Justice.

Hide Caption

4 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Amir Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine charged with spying, was freed as part of a prisoner swap that included Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian on January 16. An Iranian court threw out a 2011 death sentence forHekmati, but he was secretly retried in Iran and convicted of "practical collaboration with the U.S. government," his sister told CNN on April 11. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, she said. Hekmati was detained in August 2011 during a visit to see his grandmother. His family and the Obama administration deny accusations he was spying for the CIA.

Hide Caption

5 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Siamak Namazi, a Dubai-based businessman with dual U.S. and Iranian citizenship, was detained while visiting relatives in Tehran, the Wall Street Journal reported October 29, citing unnamed sources. The Washington Post also reported his detention, citing a family friend who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Post reported that it wasn't clear what Namazi is alleged to have done. His detention would bring to five the number of Americans detained or unaccounted for in the Islamic republic.

Hide Caption

6 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Scott Darden was taken hostage by Houthi rebels in Yemen in March 2015. He was captured while working for New Orleans-based Transoceanic Development, according to a source close to his family.

Hide Caption

7 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Retired FBI agent Robert Levinson has been missing since 2007. His family says he was working as a private investigator in Iran when he disappeared, and multiple reports suggest Levinson may have been working for the CIA. His family told CNN that they have long known that Levinson worked for the CIA, and they said it's time for the government to lay out the facts about Levinson's case. U.S. officials have consistently denied publicly that Levinson was working for the government, but they have repeatedly insisted that finding him and bringing him home is a "top" priority. The FBI increased its reward for information on Levinson from $1 million to $5 million.

Hide Caption

8 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Mothers Linda Boyle, left, and Lyn Coleman hold photo of their married children, Joshua Boyle and Caitlin Coleman, who were kidnapped by the Taliban in late 2012. Coleman was pregnant when she was kidnapped and is believed to have had a child in captivity.

Hide Caption

9 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Jailed since 2013 and sentenced to life for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Mohamed Soltan was eventually released, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo said in May 2015. Soltan's family denies he belonged to the Brotherhood. Soltan had been a dual U.S. and Egyptian citizen, but he renounced his Egyptian citizenship as a condition of his release.

One of three Americans detained in North Korea, Jeffrey Edward Fowle was released and sent home, a State Department official told CNN in October 2014. Fowle was accused of leaving a Bible in a hotel where he was staying. North Korea announced Fowle's detention in June of that year, saying he had violated the law by acting "contrary to the purpose of tourism." Fowle told CNN: "I've admitted my guilt to the government and signed a statement to that effect and requested forgiveness from the people and the government of the DPRK."

Hide Caption

12 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

In May 2013, a North Korean court sentenced Kenneth Bae, a U.S. citizen, to 15 years of hard labor for committing "hostile acts" against the state. North Korea claimed Bae was part of a Christian plot to overthrow the regime. In a short interview with CNN in September 2014, Bae said he is working eight hours a day, six days a week at a labor camp. "Right now what I can say to my friends and family is, continue to pray for me," he said. After months in detention, he and fellow American detainee Matthew Todd Miller were released in November.

Hide Caption

13 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Miller, an American sentenced to six years of hard labor in North Korea, was one of three Americans who spoke to CNN's Will Ripley in September 2014 and implored the U.S. government for help. The 24-year-old was accused of tearing up his tourist visa and seeking asylum upon entry to North Korea.

Hide Caption

14 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

American journalist Peter Theo Curtis was handed over to U.N. peacekeepers in August 2014 after nearly two years in captivity. He is believed to have been captured in October 2012 and held by the al-Nusra Front, a Syrian rebel group with ties to al Qaeda.

Hide Caption

15 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Alan Gross, at right with Rabbi Arthur Schneier, was jailed while working as a subcontractor in Cuba in December 2009. Cuban authorities say Gross tried to set up illegal Internet connections on the island. Gross says he was just trying to help connect the Jewish community to the Internet. Former President Jimmy Carter and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson both traveled to Cuba on Gross' behalf. He was eventually released in December.

Hide Caption

16 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

This undated image provided by the U.S. Army shows Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had been held by insurgents in Afghanistan since 2009. The White House announced Bergdahl's release on May 31, 2014. Bergdahl was released in exchange for five senior Taliban members held by the U.S. military. In March 2015, the U.S. military charged Bergdahl with one count each of "Desertion with Intent to Shirk Important or Hazardous Duty," and "Misbehavior Before The Enemy by Endangering the Safety of a Command, Unit or Place."

Hide Caption

17 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

U.S. tourist and Korean War veteran Merrill Newman arrives at the Beijing airport on December 7, 2013, after being released by North Korea. Newman was detained in October 2013 by North Korean authorities just minutes before he was to depart the country after visiting through an organized tour. His son Jeff Newman said the Palo Alto, California, man had all the proper paperwork and set up his trip through a North Korean-approved travel agency.

Hide Caption

18 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Y – Mexican authorities arrested Yanira Maldonado, a U.S. citizen, right, in May 2013, for alleged drug possession. She and her husband, Gary, were traveling from Mexico back to the United States when their bus was stopped and searched. She was released a few days later and is now back in the United States.

Hide Caption

19 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

North Korea has arrested Americans before, only to release them after a visit by a prominent dignitary. Journalists Laura Ling, center, and Euna Lee, to her left, spent 140 days in captivity after being charged with illegal entry to conduct a smear campaign. They were freed in 2009 after a trip by former President Bill Clinton.

Hide Caption

20 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Former President Jimmy Carter negotiated the release of Aijalon Gomes, who was detained in 2010 after crossing into North Korea illegally from China. Analysts say high-level visits give Pyongyang a propaganda boost and a way to save face when it releases a prisoner.

Hide Caption

21 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Detained in April 2011, Eddie Yong Su Junwas released by North Korea a month afterward. His alleged crime was not provided to the media. The American delegation that secured his freedom included Robert King, the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues.

Hide Caption

22 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Without any apparent U.S. intervention, Robert Park was released by North Korea in 2010. The Christian missionary crossed into North Korea from China, carrying a letter asking Kim Jong Il to free political prisoners and resign. North Korea's state-run news agency said Park was released after an "admission and sincere repentance of his wrongdoings." Here, Park holds a photo of Kim and a malnourished child during a protest in Seoul.

Hide Caption

23 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Josh Fattal, center; Sarah Shourd, left; and Shane Bauer were detained by Iran while hiking near the Iraq-Iran border in July 2009. Iran charged them with illegal entry and espionage. Shourd was released on bail for medical reasons in September 2010; she never returned to face her charges. Bauer and Fattal were convicted in August 2011, but the next month they were released on bail and had their sentences commuted.

Hide Caption

24 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Haleh Esfandiari, an Iranian-American scholar, was detained at Iran's Evin Prison, spending months in solitary confinement before Iran released her on bail in August 2007. Esfandiari was visiting her ailing mother in Tehran when she was arrested and charged with harming Iran's national security.

Hide Caption

25 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Sixteen Americans were among the dozens arrested in December 2011 when Egypt raided the offices of 10 nongovernmental organizations that it said received illegal foreign financing and were operating without a public license. Many of the employees posted bail and left the country after a travel ban was lifted a few months later. Robert Becker, right, chose to stay and stand trial. He spent two years in prison and has since returned to the United States.

Hide Caption

26 of 27

Photos:Americans detained abroad

Filmmaker Timothy Tracy was arrested in Venezuela in April 2013 on allegations of funding opponents of newly elected President Nicolas Maduro, successor to the late Hugo Chavez. Tracy went to Venezuela to make a documentary about the political division gripping the country. He was released in June 2013.

Hide Caption

27 of 27

The deal comes after more than a year of secret negotiations, the officials said. The nuclear agreement "accelerated" the prisoner swap, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said.

The secret talks were led by Brett McGurk, the U.S. special envoy tapped by President Barack Obama to coordinate the global fight against the ISIS terrorist group, senior U.S. administration officials said.

The United States also agreed to drop charges against 14 other Iranians whose extradition to the United Statesseemed unlikely, a U.S. official said on background.

Robert Levinson's fate unknown

The agreement also calls for Iranian officials to "continue cooperating with the United States to determine the whereabouts of Robert Levinson," a U.S. official said on background. Levinson is the former FBI agent and CIA contractor who went missing in Iran in 2007.

Iran has denied holding him.

"We are happy for the other families," Levinson's family said in a statement. "But once again, Bob Levinson has been left behind. We are devastated."

Trevithick's release was not part of the prisoner swap, but U.S. officials did "indicate to Foreign Minister [Javad] Zarif that it'd be important for them to try to resolve some of the other cases of Americans detained in the context of this" deal," a senior administration official told CNN.

Trevithick has left Iran, administration officials said in a Saturday evening conference call. The four other Americans had not yet departed, the officials said.

Americans held in separate cases

Rezaian was detained by Iran in 2014 and eventually charged with espionage and other crimes, according to the Washington Post. He was the newspaper's Tehran bureau chief.

The newspaper and the United States have called the charges "absurd." Supporters say he has been denied proper legal representation.

"We couldn't be happier to hear the news that Jason Rezaian has been released from Evin Prison," Washington Post spokeswoman Kris Coriatti said in a statement. "Once we receive more details and can confirm Jason has safely left Iran, we will have more to share."

Rezaian's brother Ali said he had no immediate confirmation of the news.

Hekmati was detained in 2011, weeks after arriving in Iran to visit his grandmother, according to his family's website. The former Marine infantryman and Arabic and Persian linguist was accused of espionage and other charges in 2012.

He appeared on Iranian television and said he was working for the CIA in a confession her mother and the U.S. State Department has said was forced and fabricated.

He was later sentenced to death.

The punishment was later overturned, but Hekmati was later convicted of "cooperating with hostile governments" and sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to a website set up by his supporters.

During his imprisonment, he has suffered from health problems, including weight loss and breathing difficulties, according to his family.

His family released a statement thanking supporters for standing with the family since his arrest.

"There are still many unknowns. At this point, we are hoping and praying for Amir's long-awaited return," the statement read.

Abedini, an Iran native and convert to Christinanity, was arrested in 2012 and convicted the next year on charges of attempting to undermine the Iranian government. He had been sentenced to eight years in prison.

His arrest came three years after he had been arrested by Iranian authorities and later released after agreeing to stop organizing churches in homes. His 2012 arrest came during a trip to help build a state-run secular orphanage.

The American Center for Law and Justice, a Washington-based group dedicated to protecting religious and constitutional freedoms, reported that Abedini has endured torture during his imprisonment and was beaten by fellow prisoners in June. He suffered injuries to his face during that incident, the center reported.

"We're delighted this day has finally arrived," ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow said in a statement. "Pastor Saeed should never been imprisoned in the first place."

Abedini's wife, Naghmeh Abedini, said in the statement that the release was "an answer to prayer."

Not much is known about Khosravi-Roodsari.

U.S. offers clemency

The United States is pardoning or commuting the sentence of an Iranian and six dual citizens as part of the deal.

U.S. federal officials said they will not comment on the names of anyone who is part of the agreement until after the four Americans are in U.S. custody.

The attorney for one of the seven told CNN his client was pardoned along with two others indicted at the same time. But he said their release awaits the Americans' departure from Iran.

"I've seen the pardon," said Joel Androphy, the lawyer for Bahram Mechanich.

Androphy said the pardon covered Mechanich and Tooraj Faridi, both of Houston, and Khosro Afghahi of Los Angeles. The Justice Department accused the three of being "members of an Iranian procurement network operating in the United States," according to a news release at the time of the April 2015 indictment.

Specifically, they were accused of shipping electronic components to Iran in violation of the trade sanctions, Faridi's attorney, Kent Schaffer, told CNN affiliate KPRC in Houston.

Schaffer said his client has been out on bond since the indictment while the other two men have been held at the federal detention center in Houston awaiting trial.

Faridi was "overjoyed" at news of the pardon and plans to stay in the United States because it's his home, Schaffer said. Mechanich, who was "elated" by the pardon, plans eventually return to Iran, where he has a business, Androphy said.

The pardons have been in the works for "a while," Schaffer said, declining to offer details.

A source familiar with the case of a fourth man identified him as Ali Saboonchi. The Maryland man was convicted in August 2014 of a plot to export industrial products and services to Iran, a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office said at the time.

Saboonchi faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison when he was convicted, but the sentence he was ultimately given was not clear Saturday.

The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) named the other three men as Nader Madanloo, Arash Ghahreman and Nima Golestaneh.

Madanloo, of Maryland, is serving an eight-year sentence for conspiring to illegally provide satellite services to Iran, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Ghahreman, of Staten Island, New York, was found guilty in April 2015 of a scheme to export marine navigation equipment and military electronic equipment to Iran, according to the Justice Department.

Golestaneh pleaded guilty last month to charges of wire fraud and fraud in connection with computers, according to the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont. He faced up to 25 years in prison for both counts, but the length of his sentence wasn't immediately clear.